Armenia’s occupation policy threatens region and Europe: Top official
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan is known as a place of stability and security today, and plays a stabilizing role in the region; but unfortunately Armenia's policy of occupation and terror against Azerbaijan poses a threat both to the region and Europe.
Head of the political analysis and information provision department at the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Elnur Aslanov made the remarks at the first Congress of the youth organization of volunteers "ASAN" in Baku on December 19.
Aslanov said Azerbaijan will never accept the occupation.
"We want Armenia, which follows a policy of occupation, to be punished not only by Azerbaijan and Turkey, but also by other countries and international and regional organizations. Despite the fact that the UN Security Council resolution is sometimes passed in a few hours, the resolutions on the occupation of Azerbaijani territories have remained only on paper for 20 years," Aslanov said.
Saying Azerbaijan is doing everything possible to restore justice, Aslanov added, "The greatest concession on our part was the negotiations. Other ways of restoring our territorial integrity have never been excluded, and it is our sovereign right and we reserve that right."
He said the Azerbaijani side wants a peaceful settlement of the conflict, but Armenia should demonstrate a constructive attitude as well.
Saying only in this case one can begin to work on a peace treaty, Aslanov added that it is necessary to be ready for the post-conflict period.
"Sooner or later, this conflict will be resolved, as there is no alternative. Armenia and forces that support it cannot resist the growing Azerbaijan," Aslanov said. "But, Armenia faces difficulties. Armenians leave the country, the South Caucasus and flee to other countries because of poverty."
"The reason Armenia is in such a position is Azerbaijan, and we do not hide it that as long as the Yerevan's policy of occupation continues, this process will not stop," Aslanov said.
Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.
As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 are reported missing, almost 100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were disabled.
The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.